Ice flaking machine for domestic refrigerators

ABSTRACT

An automatic ice flaking machine for making fine ice or the like comprising a rotable drum which is rotated on a horizontal axis in the freezer compartment of a domestic refrigerator. Water is fed into the drum chamber during its rotation while freezing air is circulated over the drum to freeze the water in thin clear layers. An ice flake collecting trough extends through the drum side opening with the upper portion of the trough having an ice scraper located in close proximity to the inside surface of the drum chamber to scrape off ice from its inner periphery as the drum rotates delivering the flaked ice by gravity into a suitable ice storage container.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,727,425

Kesling 1 Apr. 17, 1973 ICE FLAKING MACHINE FOR DOMESTIC REFRIGERATORS Primary Examiner-William E. Wayner Attorney--William S. Pettigrew et al.

[ ABSTRACT An automatic ice flaking machine for making fine ice or the like comprising a rotable drum which is rotated on a horizontal axis in the freezer compartment of a domestic refrigerator. Water is fed into the drum chamber during its rotation while freezing air is circulated over the drum to freeze the water in thin clear layers. An ice flake collecting trough extends through the drum side opening with the upper portion of the trough having an ice scraper located in close proximity to the inside surface of the drum chamber to scrape off ice from its inner periphery as the drum rotates delivering the flaked ice by gravity into a suitable ice storage container.

3Clailm,3lJi-awingFigures ICE FLAKING MACHINE FOR DOMESTIC REFRIGERATORS The present invention relates to an improved automatic apparatus for producing clear flaked ice or the like located in the freezing compartment of a domestic refrigerator in which the ice is formed on the inner surface of a rotating drum and is externally cooled by the circulation of freezing air over the drum. Water is supplied to the interior chamber of the drum and frozen in thin clear layers gradually increasing in thickness until the ice formation attains a predetermined thickness such that it is removed by means of a fixed scraper and collecting trough arrangement allowing the flaked ice to be directed out a side opening of the drum for storage in a suitable ice container or bin.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple,

inexpensive automatic clear flaked ice maker for use in the freezer compartment of a household refrigerator.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simple, inexpensive automatic ice flaker machine in which liquid is frozen in thin clear layers on the inside surface of the'drum chamber by accretion including a fixed ice chute which extends through a side opening into the drum chamber and a fixed blade extends vertically from a portion of the chute to a point adjacent the inner periphery for scraping ice formed thereon as the drum rotates and deliver the flaked ice through the side opening to a suitable storagecontainer in the freezer compartment.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the Drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a household refrigerator freezer compartment with the door open illustrating one form of the automatic ice flaking machine;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal plan view, partly in section, of the ice flaking machine of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 the upper portion of a household refrigerator cabinet 20 having a lower door 22 closing upon the abovefreezing food compartment and an upper freezer compartment 24 closed by an upper door 26. Preferably, this household refrigerator 20 is of the frost-free type in which air at a temperature of the order of to --l5 F. is circulated through the freezer compartment 24.

According to my invention an automatic ice flaker 28 is installed in the freezer compartment 24 and supplied with tap water at ordinary temperatures from a pressure water system under pressure to a suitable solenoid control valve (not shown) which controls the flow of water through the tube 30 extending through the insulation of the top wall 32 as shown for example in the US. Pat. No. 3,540,227 issued November 17, 1970 and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application. The tube 30 is shown extending vertically downwardly from the upper wall 32 of the compartment 24 and is provided with an offset bend 36 as seen in FIG. 2 to allow the tube discharge end 37 to extend into the inner chamber of drum member 40 through side opening 42 and terminates in a lower quadrant aligned in a radial line 39 oriented about 45 from the vertical in the leading clockwise direction of drum rotation. The drum 40 is made of suitable metal such as aluminum and has an essentially U-shaped cross section defining an outer periphery region 44 having an arcuate cross section, side wall regions 45 and 46 with the outer side wall having the circular opening 42 formed therein.

The inner wall region 46 forms a motor shaft mounting plate including a hub 48 formed on the horizontal rotational axis of the drum 40 for reception of the offset shaft 50 of suitable motor means such as electric motor 52 which is shown located in a recess portion 53 of the insulated side wall portion 54 of the freezer compartment. The offset shaft 50 is keyed or otherwise suitably fixed within the axial bore 55 of the hub and is driven in a clockwise manner by means of a suitable gear arrangement in gear box 56 by motor drive shaft 57.

A combined scraper blade and harvesting chute generally indicated at 60 is shown passing through the drum side opening 42 into the chamber of the drum such that the blade portion 62 is positioned in close proximity to the inside surface of the peripheral wall 44 and side walls 45, 46. The water exiting from the tube discharge end 37 will flow over the drum inner surface and freeze to ice in layers by a gradual accretion process until a certain predetermined thickness is attained. As seen in FIG. 2 the blade 62 has an arcuate shape to conform with the hemispherical cross-sectional shape of the peripheral wall 44. The blade 62 is positioned in a vertical transverse plane located a defined distance from the vertical central axis of the drum indicated by the center line 66 in close proximity to the inside surface of the drum chamber. As viewed in FIG. 3, the blade is located on radial center line 67 oriented about 15 from the vertical line 66 in the leading clockwise direction of drum rotation such that when the drum rotates in a clockwise direction, indicated by the arrow, the beveled blade edge 68 is positioned to shave or scrape off ice therefrom as the drum rotates past the zenith point of its travel. In this manner the broken ice flakes are intercepted and directed by the blade so as to be delivered by gravity onto the inclined plate portion 72 of the chute 60.

The ice flakes are guided by the upstanding side wall flanges 74 and 76 of the chute downwardly at an angle approximately 45 to the horizontal and deliver the ice flakes to a storage container partially indicated at 78 in FIG. 2. Th combined blade 62 and chute 60 is retained by suitable securing means such as an inwardly bent flange 82 of mounting bracket 84 which is in turn secured to a base member 86 having an upstanding end flange 88 for securing bracket 84 by means of bolts 90.

The base 86 is shown mounted on the bottom wall 92 of the freezer compartment and extends into the recessed opening of the compartment. The base 86 is removably secured to the bottom wall 92 by means of bolts 96. An intermediate upstanding mounting flange 98 is lanced from the base 86 to support left hand motor mounting bracket 100 by bolts 102. Motor mounting bracket 100 is provided near its upper end with an opening 104 arranged coaxially with respect to opening 105 in wall 54 to allow the drive shaft 50 of the motor to extend therethrough' while the motor is retained on the bracket 100 by suitable means such as screws 106 shown in FIG. 3.

drum to the time it approaches the upper zenith of its travel.

Suitable mechanism such as resilient supporting means to determine the maximum loading of the bin 78 to open the water fill circuit, disclosed in the abovereferenced U.S. Pat. No, 3,540,227, may be provided to control the operation of applicants ice flaking machine when a sufficient weight of frozen liquid has collected in the bin. This will not immediately stop the rotation of the drum 40 but will provide a sufficient interval to freeze the remaining liquid 112 in thin layers on the drum periphery and prevent an ice mass from being formed in the bottom portion of the drum chamber.

1 claim: Y

1. An ice making machine comprising a cylindrical drum memberhaving an opening in at least one side, means for rotating said drum about a horizontal axis, means for introducing water into the lower portion of the drum chamber, an ice collecting bin adjacent said drum, refrigeration means for freezing the water in thin layers on the internal surface of said drum, a stationary inclined chute having its upper end underlying the uppermost portion of said drum internal surface and its lower end extending above the collecting bin, said chute including a vertically extending planar wall on the upper portion thereof, said wall oriented in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said drum and offset therefrom in the direction of rotation of said drum, said wall having its upper edge in the form of a blade conforming with and in sufficiently close proximity to said drum internal surface to scrape off ice therefrom as the drum rotates whereby flaked ice will be dropped onto the upper end of'said chute and will slide down the same into the collecting bin.

2. A refrigerator including a freezer compartment containing an automatic ice making and collecting bin for storing ice pieces produced by said icemaker, said icemaker including a cylindrical drum member having an opening on the outer side thereof, drum drive means drum about a horizontal axis, means for introducing water into the lower portion of the drum chamber, an ice collecting bin adjacent said drum, duct means in said freezer compartment for directing sub freezing air over said drum for freezing the water in thin layers on the internal surface of said drum, a stationary inclined chute having its upper end underlying the uppermost portion of said drum internal surface and its lower end extending above the collecting bin, said chute including a vertically extending planar wall on the upper portion thereof, said vertical wall oriented in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of said drum and offset therefrom in the direction of rotation of said drum, said vertical wall having its upper edge in the form of a blade conforming with and in sufficiently close proximit to said internal surface to scrape off we therefrom as he drum rotates whereby flaked ice will be dropped onto the upper end of said-chute and will slide down the same into the collecting bin. 7

3. A refrigerator including a freezer compartment containing an automatic ice making and collecting bin for storing ice pieces produced by said icemaker, said icemaker including a cylindrical drum member having an opening on the outer side thereof, drum drive means comprising an electric motor and means coupling the inner side of said drum to said motor for rotating said drum about a horizontal axis, means for introducing water into the lower portion of the drum chamber, an ice collecting bin adjacent said drum, duct means in said freezer compartment for directing sub freezing air over said drum for freezing the water in thin layers on the internal surface of said drum, aframe for rotatably supporting said drum upon its horizontal axis within the freezer compartment, a stationary inclined chute secured to said frame being generally channel shaped in cross section including a bottom and a pair of side flanges, said chute having its upper end underlying the uppermost portion of said drum internal surface and its lower end extending above the collecting bin, the upper end portion of one of said chute side flanges terminating in a vertically extending planar wall on the upper portion thereof, said vertical wall oriented in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of said drum and offsettherefrom in the direction of rotation of saiddrum, said vertical wall having its upper edge in the form of a blade conforming with and in sufficiently close proximity to said internal surface to. scrape off ice therefrom as the drum rotates whereby flaked ice will be dropped onto the upper end of said chute and will slide down the same into the collecting bin. 

1. An ice making machine comprising a cylindrical drum member having an opening in at least one side, means for rotating said drum about a horizontal axis, means for introducing water into the lower portion of the drum chamber, an ice collecting bin adjacent said drum, refrigeration means for freezing the water in thin layers on the internal surface of said drum, a stationary inclined chute having its upper end underlying the uppermost portion of said drum internal surface and its lower end extending above the collecting bin, said chute including a vertically extending planar wall on the upper portion thereof, said wall oriented in a plane substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said drum and offset therefrom in the direction of rotation of said drum, said wall having its upper edge in the form of a blade conforming with and in sufficiently close proximity to said drum internal surface to scrape off ice therefrom as the drum rotates whereby flaked ice will be dropped onto the upper end of said chute and will slide down the same into the collecting bin.
 2. A refrigerator including a freezer compartment containing an automatic ice making and collecting bin for storing ice pieces produced by said icemaker, said icemaker including a cylindrical drum member having an opening on the outer side thereof, drum drive means comprising an electric motor and means coupling the inner side of said drum to said motor for rotating said drum about a horizontal axis, means for introducing water into the lower portion of the drum chamber, an ice collecting bin adjacent said drum, duct means in said freezer compartment for directing sub freezing air over said drum for freezing the water in thin layers on the internal surface of said drum, a stationary inclined chute having its upper end underlying the uppermost portion of said drum internal surface and its lower end extending above the collecting bin, said chute including a vertically extending planar wall on the upper portion thereof, said vertical wall oriented in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of said drum and offset therefrom in the direction of rotation of said drum, said vertical wall having its upper edge in the form of a blade conforming with and in sufficiently close proximity to said internal surface to scrape off ice therefrom as the drum rotates whereby flaked ice will be dropped onto the upper end of said chute and will slide down the same into the collecting bin.
 3. A refrigerator including a freezer compartment containing an automatic ice making and collecting bin for storing ice pieces produced by said icemaker, said icemaker including a cylindrical drum member having an opening on the outer side thereof, drum drive means comprising an electric motor and means coupling the inner side of said drum to said motor for rotating said drum about a horizontal axis, means for introducing water into the lower portion of the drum chamber, an ice collecting bin adjacent said drum, duct means in said freezer compartment for directing sub fReezing air over said drum for freezing the water in thin layers on the internal surface of said drum, a frame for rotatably supporting said drum upon its horizontal axis within the freezer compartment, a stationary inclined chute secured to said frame being generally channel shaped in cross section including a bottom and a pair of side flanges, said chute having its upper end underlying the uppermost portion of said drum internal surface and its lower end extending above the collecting bin, the upper end portion of one of said chute side flanges terminating in a vertically extending planar wall on the upper portion thereof, said vertical wall oriented in a plane parallel to the axis of rotation of said drum and offset therefrom in the direction of rotation of said drum, said vertical wall having its upper edge in the form of a blade conforming with and in sufficiently close proximity to said internal surface to scrape off ice therefrom as the drum rotates whereby flaked ice will be dropped onto the upper end of said chute and will slide down the same into the collecting bin. 